Department for Transport

Low Emission Zones: Urban Areas

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of low emission zones as a means of tackling air pollution in urban areas.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The 2017 Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) plan sets out the actions Government is taking to deliver compliance with legal limits for NO2 in the shortest possible time. This includes a national-level assessment of the potential impact of charging Clean Air Zones in achieving this objective. As a result of the plan, Government continues to support a number of local authorities to produce local plans that identify and implement measures to tackle NO2 exceedances in their areas. These plans must be supported by suitable evidence to demonstrate the type of intervention required, and whether this needs to include a Clean Air Zone. Local Authorities have existing powers to implement charging zones as a means of achieving air quality and other environmental objectives where they deem this to be appropriate.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Wendover

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to meet parliamentarians to discuss the construction of a viaduct rather than a tunnel for HS2 in Wendover.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The scheme at Wendover is being constructed as set out in the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act 2017. The scheme design and plans were subject to significant Parliamentary scrutiny through the hybrid Bill process and include two viaducts to the south of Wendover and a tunnel to the west of the village itself.

Department of Health and Social Care

Nervous System: Medical Equipment

Lord Soley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to establish a regulatory framework authority to promote and provide safeguards for the development of neurotechnology.

Lord Kamall: Neurotechnology is regulated under general provisions for medical research, medical devices and the Data Protection Act 2018. Funders additionally have a responsibility to ensure that research funding is used for specific purposes. To improve the regulatory framework and ensure patient safety, in September 2021 the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency launched a public consultation on the future of medical device regulation. Future regulatory requirements will apply to all medical devices where applicable, including those which fall under the category of neurotechnology. The United Kingdom additionally supports the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Recommendation on Responsible Innovation in Neurotechnology and its associated principles. The UK will work with other OECD partners to help establish practical tools and guidance.

Coronavirus: Drugs

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the guidance for an immunosuppressed patient who has contracted COVID-19 receiving a dose of Ronapreve.

Lord Kamall: The guidance for immunocompromised patients receiving Ronapreve, or casirivimab and imdevimab, is outlined in the Interim Clinical Commissioning Policy: Casirivimab and imdevimab for patients hospitalised due to COVID-19 which is available in an online only format. This policy states that hospitalised patients may be eligible for Ronapreve if they are:- 12 to 49 years old and determined to be immunocompromised by multi-disciplinary team assessment, or- 50 years old or over whether or not they are immunocompromised.In either case, all eligible patients must also have COVID-19 infection confirmed by polymerase chain reaction test or where a multidisciplinary team has a high level of confidence that the clinical and/or radiological features suggest that COVID-19 is the most likely diagnosis, be hospitalised specifically for the management of acute symptoms and be negative for baseline serum anti-spike antibodies against COVID-19.Immunocompromised patients will not be eligible for Ronapreve if they are children weighing less than 40 kilograms; they are children aged under 12 years old; they have known hypersensitivity reaction to the active substances or to any of the excipients of casirivimab and imdevimab listed in the Summary of Product Characteristics; or they have previously received treatment in hospital with casirivimab and imdevimab at the 2.4 gram (combined) dose or higher.Interim Clinical Commissioning Policy (pdf, 339.2KB)

Palliative Care

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to improve palliative care in England.

Lord Kamall: NHS England and NHS Improvement’s palliative and end of life care delivery plan focuses on improving access to appropriate services, ensuring the sustainability of providers in the sector and improving the quality of the services received in line with the NHS Long Term Plan. Additionally, Ambitions for Palliative and End of Life Care: A national framework for local action 2021-2026, created by a partnership of 27 organisations across health and social care sets out our vision to improve palliative, end of life and bereavement care in England. A copy of the framework is attached.Ambitions for Palliative and End of Life Care (pdf, 471.1KB)

Medical Treatments

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, they have had with the (1) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and (2) NHS England, about the ambition of the NICE Methods Review; and whether the ambition of the review meets the targets of the Life Sciences Vision.

Lord Kamall: Officials have discussed the ambition of the methods review with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England and NHS Improvement. We are supportive of NICE’s proposals, which are consistent with the expectations set out in the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access, agreed with industry. NICE’s review of its methods and processes will ensure it retains global leadership in the evaluation and appraisal of new medicines and technologies. As reflected in the Life Sciences Vision, this will support our ambition to promote the United Kingdom as the best place in the world to develop, trial, launch and adopt innovative new medicines.

Social Services: Finance

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they calculated the allocation of £5.4 billion extra funding for social care, announcedinBuild Back Better: our plan for health and social carein September; and what proportion has been allocated for basic training for care workers.

Lord Kamall: The Government’s calculations were based on the following criteria: - ending wholly unpredictable care costs;- providing at least £500 million to support the adult social care workforce over three years, including funding initiatives to support mental health and wellbeing and introducing further measures reforms to improve recruitment; and- providing funding to enable all local authorities to move towards paying providers a fair rate for care, to improve the quality of adult social care services, workforce conditions and increase investment. The Government will work with care users, providers and other stakeholders to develop plans for the reform of adult social care, including the development of a new training and qualifications offer for the care sector, in a white paper later this year.

Midwives

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many midwives have left the NHS in England in the past 12 months, and (2) what steps they plan to take to ensure safe NHS midwife staffing levels.

Lord Kamall: In the 12 months to the end of June 2021, 2,875 midwives left service in the National Health Service in England. This includes midwives on maternity leave and those moving to work in healthcare roles in non-NHS providers.The Government has committed to increasing the number of available midwifery training places in England by more than 3,650 in the four years from 2019, with an initial additional 650 training places made available and increases of 1,000 in each year since then.NHS England is providing £95 million for the recruitment of 1,200 more midwives and 100 more obstetricians and to support multi-disciplinary team training.

Medical Treatments

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the changes proposed in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's Methods Review will help deliver on their ambition for the UK to be a global life sciences hub.

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution the proposed changes to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Methods will make towards improving patient access to medicines.

Lord Kamall: The Department supports the proposals in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) review of its methods and processes. The proposals are consistent with the expectations for the review in the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access, agreed with industry. NICE’s review will ensure it retains global leadership in the evaluation and appraisal of new medicines and technologies which will promote the United Kingdom as the best place in the world to develop, trial, launch and adopt innovative new medicines, improving patient access. While it is too early to comment on the final changes to NICE’s methods and processes, NICE is reviewing the responses to its latest consultation and expects to publish the final programme manual in early 2022.

Life Sciences: Influenza

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to invest in the life sciences sector to support the UK's preparedness against (1) the impacts of season flu, and (2) an influenza pandemic.

Lord Kamall: Given wider preparedness work with the life sciences sector, a specific investment for influenza has not been made. However, Life Sciences Vision, set out the 10 year plan for building on the UK’s life science capabilities with commitments to continue to invest in pandemic preparedness and response, including vaccine development, clinical research infrastructure and National Health Service genomic sequencing capability. This includes a healthcare mission to sustain the United Kingdom’s position in novel vaccine discovery, development, manufacture and use. The report also contains a commitment to build on the UK’s pandemic manufacturing infrastructure, expertise in vaccines and £380 million invested by the Vaccines Taskforce in vaccine manufacturing capacity. A copy of Life Sciences Vision is attached.The Spending Review also announced a £354 million investment in the life sciences manufacturing sector, including preparing for future pandemics.Life Science Vision  (pdf, 3513.6KB)

Hernias: Surgery

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the availability of hernia operations varies in different regions of England; and if so, how.

Lord Kamall: Hernia operations are available from National Health Service providers across England. Demand varies in different areas as not all regions are of the same size or population.The following table shows the number of finished consultant episodes (FCE) for primary or secondary hernia operations in each region of England in 2020/21 and average waiting times.Government Office region of residenceFCEAverage waiting time in daysNorth East3,470164North West8,120197Yorkshire and Humber6,095184East Midlands4,805183West Midlands4,915222East of England6,525221London8,990178South East10,445187South West8,020183 Source: NHS Digital Hospital Episode StatisticsNotes:A FCE is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider.Primary and secondary hernia operations refer to first surgical procedures and secondary follow up operations if needed.

Hernias: Surgery

Baroness Hodgson of Abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many hernia operations were carried out in the NHS in (1) 2018, (2) 2019, and (3) 2020.

Lord Kamall: The following table shows the number of finished consultant episodes (FCE) for primary or secondary hernia operations in England in 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21.2018/192019/202020/21132,145121,55561,385 Source: NHS Digital Hospital Episode StatisticsNotes:A FCE is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider.Primary and secondary hernia operations refer to first surgical procedures and secondary follow up operations.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Blunkett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Kamall on 7 October (HL2777), what advice they have given to primary care providers seeking financial support to give initial or booster vaccines in areas which have a high proportion of the population with English as a second language where (1) translation services, and (2) longer vaccination appointments, may be necessary.

Lord Kamall: Primary care providers of local COVID-19 vaccination services should ensure that patients have access to translation and British Sign Language services as required to support consent, mental capacity and clinical assessments as appropriate. Primary care providers can request support for reasonable additional costs from their local commissioner, which will assess if claims for such costs are reasonable and represent value for money.

Department for Education

Children: Day Care

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of investing in flexible childcare arrangements on the annual earnings of working mothers.

Baroness Barran: All three and four year olds in England are entitled to 15 hours of free childcare each week, providing children with high-quality early education and helping parents to return to work. Disadvantaged families in England are also eligible for 15 hours of free early education a week for their two year old children. In January 2021, 87% of all three year olds and 93% of all four year olds, including those in a reception place, were registered for some funded early education.   30 hours of free childcare was introduced in England in September 2017 and is an entitlement for working parents of three and four year olds, benefitting around 330,000 children in January 2021. The entitlement aims to help working parents, including mothers, with the costs of childcare so they can take up paid work if they want to or can work additional hours.The department’s 2019 parent survey highlights the impact 30 hours can have on parents’ working patterns, with 33% of parents saying that in the absence of 30 hours childcare they would be working fewer hours and the majority of parents (70%) reporting that 30 hours of childcare had given them more flexibility in the hours they could work. Findings also showed that a small but notable proportion of mothers reported that accessing 30 hours had led them to enter work (6%) or increase their hours (17%). The 2019 parent survey can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-survey-of-parents-2019.All of the department’s entitlements provide free early education for parents across 38 weeks of the year. They can also be made more flexible by being “stretched” if parents wish to use fewer hours over more weeks and this is an option their childcare provider offers.An independent evaluation into the national roll out of the government’s 30 hours entitlements found that 26% of mothers reported they had been able to increase their working hours and 15% stated they would not be working without the extended hours. These effects were stronger for lower income families. Furthermore, most providers delivering the extended hours (over 90%) reported that they offered parents a free choice or at least some choice in when they took the extended hours. The evaluation can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/740168/Evaluation_of_national_rollout_of_30_hours_free-childcare.pdf.We recognise that the needs of many parents will have changed dramatically in line with the reopening of the economy and the department continues to investigate how we can improve these experiences for parents.

Children: Day Care

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the amount of subsidised childcare for children aged between three and four years old from 570 to 720 hours per year to cover the duration of school holidays

Baroness Barran: All three and four year olds in England are eligible for 15 hours per week of free early education over 38 weeks, equivalent to 570 hours per year. This entitlement can be used at a range of early years providers, including over the school holidays. Working parents who earn at least the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Minimum/Living Wage and under £100,000 per year can claim an additional 15 hours, also known as 30 hours free childcare. The government currently has no plans to extend these schemes.Outside of the free early education entitlements, working parents can benefit from the Tax-Free Childcare scheme, which can help them save 20% of their childcare costs, worth up to £2,000 per year for children under 12, or up to £4,000 for those under 17 if their child is disabled.Working parents on a low income can also benefit from up to 85% of their childcare costs being reimbursed through Universal Credit Childcare, up to a total of £646 for one child, or up to £1,108 for two or more children.

Teachers: Training

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the drop-out rate in each of the last five years of teachers trained through (1) Teach First, (2) SCITT, (3) PGCE, and (4) Schools Direct.

Baroness Barran: Information on the retention rates of newly qualified teachers is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.85% of teachers who qualified in 2019 were still teaching one year after qualification. This retention rate has gradually declined since 2011. In contrast, retention of teachers who qualified two or more years ago has increased this year, a change to gradual declines seen in recent years.Three in five teachers who qualified ten years ago are still teaching.The department does not compile data on retention rate of teachers by training route.The table below shows the retention rates of newly qualified teachers (based on headcounts) in each of the 5 years following qualification year, 2015 to 2019. Percentage of teachers still in service: 1 year after qualifying2 years after qualifying3 years after qualifying4 years after qualifying5 years after qualifying201586.078.573.769.968.6201685.177.873.271.3:201785.178.375.5::201885.480.5:::201984.5::::Source: School Workforce Census. Table taken from School workforce in England National Statistic.

Lifelong Education

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what further steps they intend to take to ensure that lifelong learning is available to all, including those with special educational needs.

Baroness Barran: We are committed to supporting everyone, whatever their age and background, including those with a special education need or disability, to attain the skills that will be needed in the economy of the future. In the first three quarters of the 2020/21 academic year (August to April), 16.2% of all adult learners declared a learning difficulty or disability, which demonstrates our commitment to those learners with additional needs. Our Skills for Jobs white paper published in January 2021, is focused on giving people the skills they need, in a way that suits them, so they can get great jobs in sectors the economy needs and boost this country’s productivity. Through our reforms we are ensuring people have opportunities to study, by delivering my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee, to upskill and reskill at different points in their life. Starting this year, the government is investing £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations) in the National Skills Fund. This is a significant investment and has the potential to deliver new opportunities to generations of adults who may have been previously left behind. Since 1 April this year, the government is supporting any adult who does not have A level equivalent or higher qualifications, to access over 400 fully funded level 3 courses, with Free Courses for Jobs. This offer is a long-term commitment, backed by £95 million from the National Skills Fund in year one. Removing the barrier of funding training for millions of adults gives more people the chance to get ahead in work, no matter their age or background. Complementing this support for adults, Skills Bootcamps offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer. We expect the Skills Bootcamps to represent the diversity of the local population and we encourage people from under-represented groups to take advantage of these fantastic opportunities. Through our lifelong loan entitlement, introduced from 2025, we will make it easier for adults and young people to study more flexibly. This will allow them to space out their studies across their lifetimes, transfer credits between colleges and universities, and enable more part-time study. More specifically, students with special educational needs and disabilities are an important part of our vision for, and motivation behind, a flexible skills system. We believe that more flexible provision can be of particular benefit to these students and plan to use the upcoming consultation on the lifelong loan entitlement to build our evidence base on how to support all people to access or benefit from this offer. We are also continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) by providing £1.34 billion in the 2021/22 financial year. The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to support adults to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. The AEB also provides funds to providers to help adults overcome barriers to learning. This includes learner support for those with financial hardship and learning support to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

Ministry of Justice

Offenders: Employment

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many former prisonersthey employ in each government department.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: We do not centrally hold data on the total number of prison leavers currently working within the Ministry of Justice and its Arms-Length Bodies. However, since April 2021 MoJ has run a specialised recruitment programme, Going Forward into Employment, whereby ex-prisoners can become employed by the MoJ. 21 former prisoners have become employed through this route to date.The MoJ champions the ‘ban the box’ campaign in line with Government measures to support the rehabilitation of offenders and does not ask for details of criminal convictions at the initial stage of recruitment for roles advertised through fair and open competition. Following a provisional offer of employment, successful candidates are asked to declare criminal convictions as part of the pre-employment checking process which may identify candidates who have received a custodial sentence.

Prison Officers: Crimes against the Person

Earl Attlee: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prison officers completed at least one shift at (1) Wormwood Scrubs Prison, (2) Wandsworth Prison, (3) Belmarsh Prison, (4) Feltham Young Offender Institution, and (5) Liverpool Prison, between18 and 25 October; and of these officers, how many were issued with spit kits for collection evidence of assault by using bodily fluid.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: The information regarding the number of prison officers who had completed at least one shift at the named establishments, between 18-25 October 2021, is detailed in the table below. No officers were issued with spit kits.PrisonNumber of officersBelmarsh317Feltham285Liverpool132Wandsworth202Wormwood Scrubs163

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Jerusalem: USA

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposal by the government of the United States of America to reopen their consulate in East Jerusalem.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: This is a matter for the US Government. The UK's position on Jerusalem is that the status of Jerusalem should be determined in a negotiated settlement, and ultimately the shared capital of both states.

Palestinians: Elections

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the PalestinianAuthority about elections for (1) municipal councils, and (2) a legislature.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are disappointed that elections in the Occupied Palestinian Territories have been postponed. The Palestinian people should be allowed to enjoy their democratic rights - and Israel must allow voting for Palestinians in East Jerusalem, in line with the Oslo Accords. We urge further work towards genuine and democratic national elections for all Palestinians, which is crucial to the establishment of a viable and sovereign Palestinian State.

Libya: Refugees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of up to 4,000 migrants being arrested in Libya; and what steps they are taking, if any, toeither (1) register those migrants as refugees, or (2) repatriate those migrants.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is deeply concerned by abuses of migrants and refugees in Libya. We continue to urge the Government of National Unity to take steps to end the exploitation and abuse of migrants and to implement a better functioning system that respects human rights.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Zimbabwe following the two recent attacks on opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of South Africa about political violence in Zimbabwe.

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the African Union regarding political violence in Zimbabwe.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK remains concerned about the political situation in Zimbabwe, particularly the lack of accountability for human rights violations and restrictions to freedom of assembly. The recent attacks on opposition leader Nelson Chamisa were concerning. In response, on 22 October, the UK Ambassador to Zimbabwe called for all citizens' freedoms to be guaranteed as set out in Zimbabwe's constitution, all incidents to be investigated, and for all violence and threats to be unequivocally condemned. The former Minister for Africa raised the human rights situation in Zimbabwe with Foreign Minister Shava on 9 June.The UK regularly discusses the political situation in Zimbabwe with its international partners, including South Africa and the African Union, and we remain committed to working in partnership to identify solutions. We continue to monitor developments closely, regularly encouraging the Government of Zimbabwe to live up to their own constitution and ensure the opposition, civil society and journalists are allowed to operate without harassment.

Cameroon: Peace Negotiations

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken, if any, with international partners to encourage all parties involved in separatist insurgency activity in the western provinces of Cameroon to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government remains deeply concerned about the crisis in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon, including the disturbing reports of human rights abuses and violations by both armed separatists and the security forces.We work with international partners, including France and the United States, to raise the crisis in multilateral fora. At the UN Human Rights Council in September, the UK called for an end to violence and impartial investigations to hold the perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses to account.At the UN Security Council briefing on UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) on 7 June, the UK reiterated the UN Secretary General's call for an end to violence and for all actors to refrain from attacks against civilians. We urge all parties to remain engaged with the Swiss-led process to facilitate talks.

Tigray: Armed Conflict

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken, if any, in response to the outbreak of renewed conflict in the Tigray region (1) bilaterally with the government of Ethiopia, and (2) multilaterally through the UN and the African Union;and what plans they have, if any, to advocate for penalties or sanctions against those obstructing humanitarian efforts in Tigray.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Minister for Africa expressed her deep concern at escalating fighting and airstrikes in Northern Ethiopia on 20 October. The conflict in Tigray has taken a terrible toll on the people of Tigray and also civilians in neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions. There can be no military solution to this crisis and political negotiation is the only way to resolve this and other conflicts in Ethiopia. The former Foreign Secretary raised the need for a political dialogue to bring a lasting peace to Tigray directly with Prime Minister Abiy on 5 August. The Minister for Africa also raised these issues in her first meeting with the Ethiopian Ambassador on 22 September.We regularly discuss the conflict in Ethiopia with our partners, and both the Minister for Africa and the Secretary of State raised their concerns about the continued obstruction of humanitarian efforts in discussions with the US, EU, African Union and other counterparts on 12 October. We continue to push both sides of the conflict to prioritise the wellbeing of people in need in Ethiopia and allow the flow of badly needed humanitarian assistance. It is longstanding practice not to speculate on future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce the impact of the designations.

Ministry of Defence

Indo-pacific Region: Armed Forces

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have for a future UK military presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Baroness Goldie: The plan for the UK's future military presence in the Indo-Pacific region was outlined in the Defence Command Paper in March and remains on track. Following the success of the Carrier Strike Group's deployment to the region, we are now delivering on the commitments set out in the Defence Command Paper. HMS Spey and Tamar are now operating in the Pacific Ocean where they will work with allies and partners in the region for the foreseeable future, building on the UK’s existing presence in the Indo Pacific, including in Brunei and Singapore.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Dogs: Smuggling

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had withthe government of the Republic of Ireland about illegal puppy breeding and smuggling.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Government takes puppy smuggling and illegal dog breeding seriously. Now we have left the EU, we have the opportunity to manage our own pet travel and commercial importation rules. We continue to work closely with other countries and authorities, including Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) in Republic of Ireland, to provide protection for those animals brought in by unscrupulous traders and to prevent the trade as much as we can. The Government has a manifesto commitment to crack down on puppy smuggling. We are now making some significant changes to domestic law through the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill which includes measures to address puppy smuggling. The Bill was introduced in Parliament on the 8 June and second reading took place on 25 October. The Bill will progress through Parliament when parliamentary time allows. While the UK Government cannot guarantee that other countries will adopt similar welfare standards to our own, we are able to encourage others to do so through membership of international organisations such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will also continue its work to raise concerns about the welfare of animals with other Governments and international authorities at every suitable opportunity.

Cabinet Office

Northern Ireland Protocol

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the EU's negotiating strategy on outstanding issues regarding arrangements under the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) scale, and (2) cause, of trade difficulties at UK ports since the introduction of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the EU's response of 13 October to their request to alter the text of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether plans they have, if any, to trigger Article 16 of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland unilaterally in order (1) to protect the Great Britain to Northern Ireland supply chain, and (2) to restore the integrity of the UK Single Market.

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union as it relates to the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland; and whether this role affects the sovereignty of the UK.

Lord Frost: Implementation of the Protocol has led to considerable disruption in the movement of goods and clear diversion of trade. Traders of all sizes have faced additional burdens, supply chains have been disrupted, and costs increased. At least 200 companies in Great Britain are no longer servicing the Northern Ireland market.We welcome the EU’s recognition that there are serious problems with the Protocol which need to be solved. We are currently engaged in a process of technical discussions with the European Commission in order fully to understand their proposals. However, it’s clear there is still a substantial gap between our two positions.Governance is critical to ensuring that we have a balanced settlement that is durable in the long term. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) sits at the apex of a system in which EU laws are imposed on NI without consent. Addressing these problems is essential in order to ensure that any agreement can be supported by all communities in Northern Ireland.We would prefer to settle these issues consensually and reach a positive outcome through negotiations. However, we have been clear that if an agreement cannot be reached Article 16 is a legitimate safeguard provision, the conditions for the use of which have been met.

Northern Ireland Protocol

Lord Browne of Belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the negotiations with the Vice President of the European Commission on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.

Lord Frost: We are currently engaged in technical discussions with the Commission in order fully to understand their proposals. We welcome the EU’s recognition that there are serious problems with the Protocol which need to be solved. But it’s clear there is still a substantial gap between our two positions in areas such as governance, customs and SPS.We hope to settle these issues consensually and reach a positive outcome through negotiations. However, we have been clear that if an agreement cannot be reached Article 16 is a legitimate safeguard provision, which we are prepared to invoke if necessary.

Department for International Trade

Sheep Meat: New Zealand

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the estimated value per annum of New Zealand lamb that will be imported to the UK as the result of the recent trade deal.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: New Zealand is already able to export its lamb to the UK tariff free via a sizeable World Trade Organisation tariff rate quota. Usage of this quota has been declining, and in 2020 less than half of this quota was filled. It is therefore unlikely there will be an increase in lamb imports from New Zealand as a result of a new deal. Following the conclusion of negotiations, a full impact assessment will be published prior to scrutiny by Parliament. This will present the results of economic impacts of the agreement, including on UK sectoral output.

Agricultural Products: New Zealand

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what safeguards are included in the trade deal with New Zealand to protect UK (1) lamb, and (2) other agricultural produce.

Lord Grimstone of Boscobel: The agreement includes a range of measures to safeguard UK agriculture. Tariff liberalisation for sensitive products will be staged over time and tariff rate quotas and product specific safeguards for sensitive agricultural products such as beef, lamb, butter and cheese will limit the level of annual tariff-free imports from New Zealand and last for up to 15 years. The agreement also includes a general bilateral safeguard mechanism, which will provide a safety net for all sectors should they face serious injury – or threat of serious injury – from increased imports as a result of this Free Trade Agreement.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Social Media: Regulation

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what further (1) steps they will take, and (2) sanctionsthey will apply, against social media outlets that fail to protect users from offensive content.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Government is introducing new laws which will require companies to improve user safety online, particularly to tackle illegal content and protect children online. The biggest social media companies will need to set clear standards for content that could cause significant physical or psychological harm to adults and enforce them consistently. This will help ensure adult users are empowered to manage their own online safety.The Government is committed to protecting free speech online, including the right to express controversial opinions that some may consider offensive. Companies and Ofcom will have duties that ensure freedom of expression is protected.Ofcom will have a suite of enforcement powers to use against companies who fail to fulfil their duties, including substantial fines. There is also a deferred power to bring in new criminal offences for senior managers who fail to ensure their company provides full information to Ofcom. We are looking at how we can bring these sanctions into force faster.

Arts: Visas

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the announcement on 11 October by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport regarding "visa-free short-term touring allowed in 20 member states", how many days per year a creative professional can work for without a (1) visa, or (2) work permit, in each of these 20 countries.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Many of the 20 Member States offer visa and work permit free routes for up to 90 days, including some of the biggest touring markets such as France, Germany and Italy. All 20 Member States have confirmed they offer visa and work permit free routes for at least 30 days, aside from Sweden (up to 14 days a year), Latvia (up to 14 days), Estonia (up to 5 days in a 30 day period) and the Czech Republic (up to 7 consecutive days, or 30 days over a year). Austria offers visa and work permit free routes for up to four weeks, although artists may take up several chronologically linked employments for a longer overall duration.Durations, precise definitions and requirements can vary from Member State to Member State. Travellers should therefore check what requirements they need to fulfill with the Member State to which they are travelling. To support this, we have published general business traveller summaries for all Member States on gov.uk, and we are engaging with Member States to encourage clear and accessible guidance. We are also sharing information with the industry on an ongoing basis, and working with sector organisations to help clarify areas of uncertainty in their own guidance.